rily so, of any intention that might be
formed by Mr. Parnell.

As for that intention, let us turn to him for a moment. Who could dream
that a man so resolute in facing facts as Mr. Parnell, would expect all to
go on as before? Substantial people in Ireland who were preparing to come
round to home rule at the prospect of a liberal victory in Great Britain,
would assuredly be frightened back. Belfast would be more resolute than
ever. A man might estimate as he pleased either the nonconformist
conscience in England, or the catholic conscience in Ireland. But the most
cynical of mere calculators,--and I should be slow to say that this was Mr.
Parnell,--could not fall a prey to such a hallucination as to suppose that
a scandal so frightfully public, so impossible for even the most mild-eyed
charity to pretend not to see, and which political passion was so
interested in keeping in full blaze, would instantly drop out of the mind
of two of the most religious communities in the world; or that either of
these communities could tolerate without effective protest so impenitent
an affront as the unruffled continuity of the stained leadership. All this
was independent of anything that Mr. Gladstone might do or might not do.
The liberal leaders had a right to assume that the case must be as obvious
to Mr. Parnell as it was to everybody else, and unless loyalty and good
faith have no place in political alliances, they had a right to look for
his spontaneous action. Was unlimited consideration due from them to him
and none from him to them?

The result of the consultation was the decisive letter addressed to me by
Mr. Gladstone, its purport to be by me communicated to Mr. Parnell. As any
one may see, its language was courteous and considerate. Not an accent was
left that could touch the pride of one who was known to be as proud a man
as ever lived. It did no more than state an unquestionable fact, with an
inevitable inference. It was not written in view of publication, for that
it was hoped would be unnecessary. It was written with the expectation of
finding the personage concerned in his usual rational frame of mind, and
with the intention of informing him of what it was right that he should
know. The same evening Mr. McCarthy was placed in possession of Mr.
Gladstone's views, to be laid before Mr. Parnell at the earliest moment.

_1 Carlton Gardens, Nov. 24, 1890._--MY DEAR MORLEY.--Having arrived
at a certain conclusion